Prevention and treatment of preterm delivery is not one of the success stories of modern medicine, preterm birth constitutes the major determinant of perinatal mortality and morbidity, and the long-term results of being born too early often lead to a shorter, less healthy life and a more difficult school and professional career. Different methods have been introduced to predict the advent of pr...

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a Peruvian hypocotyl that grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m in the central Andes. Maca is traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed aphrodisiac and/or fertility-enhancing properties. This study was a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel trial in which active treatment with different doses of Maca Gelatinizada was co...

We present the functional and structural effects of seven novel (p.Leu12Met, p.Arg16Cys, p.Ser101Asn, p.Ser202Gly, p.Pro267Leu, p.Gln389_Ala391del, and p.Thr450Met) and two previously reported but not studied (p.Ser113Phe and p.Thr450Pro) CYP21A2 mutations. Functional analyses were complemented with in silico prediction of mutation pathogenicity based on the recently crystallized human CYP21A2 ...

BACKGROUND Carbonic anhydrases (CAs), a group of metalloenzymes, are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes such as acid-base balance, gluconeogenesis, lipogenesis, ureagenesis, electrolyte secretion in various tissues, bone resorption and calcification, and tumorigenicity. In the current study, we aimed to determine and compare possible alterations in the activity of car...

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — Singleton gestations in women having a history of preterm delivery were identified from a database containing prospectively collected information from women receiving outpatient nursing services related to a high-risk pregnancy. Included were patients enrolled for outpatient management at 27 weeks’ gestation with documented pregnancy outcome and delivery at 28 week...

Preeclampsia is characterized by increased uterine artery resistance index, chronic immune activation, and decreased circulating nitric oxide levels. 17-α-Hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) is a synthetic metabolite of progesterone used for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth. We hypothesized that 17-OHPC could reduce mean arterial pressure by decreasing inflammation, whereas improvin...

Topical corticosteroids have revolutionized the therapy of many dermatoses. The value to the dermatologist of commercially available preparations reflects many factors, including the cost, potency, therapeutic efficiency, and cosmetic acceptability of the medicaments. Furthermore, since the pharmacology of most corticosteroids is similar, and the newer fluorinated compounds are of high potency,...